Wow, I sit here wondering where the month has gone. Shocked and amazed that October has ended and November is beginning.

Halloween was a bit of a disappointment. I was hoping we’d be able to pass out candy to the trick or treaters but the rain seemed to held them back from knocking on our doors. When we realized this, we chose to go to the theater and see the hilarious movie Despicable Me 2. This movie had my wife laughing throughout the whole film. Definitely go see, or rent, it if you’re looking for a good laugh.

2. Catalyst Atlanta 2013 Recap – Catalyst Atlanta 2013 was a blast. I learned so much and met so many awesome leaders. Here, I recap what I learned and connect all of my notes so you can find them in one place.

5. 5 Ways Introverts Rock At Leadership – Introverts can be overlooked because of their quiet nature. We’ve missed many great leaders because of this. Don’t neglect what could be the greatest leader you’ve known because they’re introverted.

7. How To Give Effective Praise – With the aggressive nature of leadership, praise can be a hard thing to give to your team. And yet they need it more than you recognize. Learn how to give effective praise in this post.

Honorable mention: The Toughest Decision I’ve Had To Make – While it didn’t make the top 10, this heartfelt post came really close. Leaders have to make tough choices every day. Some days they’re tougher than others. Learn what my toughest choice was and how it’s affected my life.

Top Commenters

It was a fantastic month for commenters. I thank each and every one of you who joins the conversation and adds valuable insights. You’re the lifeblood of the blog!

Site Statistics

Visits – Increased 10.42%

Unique Visitors – Increased 11.53%

Pageviews – Increased 21.46%

Pages Per Visit – Increased 9.99%

Average Visit Duration – Increased 11.51%

Bounce Rate – Decreased 23.37%

New Visits – Increased 1.77%

Ads – Lost 5 advertisers

The site statistics for October are encouraging. Growth is happening, visitors are staying longer, and more pages are being visited.

There was a bit of disappointment when I lost 5 of my 6 advertisers. While this is discouraging, I know advertisers move on. More will come. And if you want to become an advertiser, click on one of the Advertise Here boxes in the sidebar. The rates are reasonable and I’d love to promote your product.

Site News

A lot happened at the blog this month. And I don’t think I’m exaggerating.

For starters, I was able to live blog from Catalyst Atlanta, bringing you knowledge from some of the biggest and brightest leaders in the world.

I partnered with FatihVillage. If you frequent that site, you should see my content being reused over there.

I am in the process of acquiring another domain. This one is really exciting and I hope it will be a great resource for youth ministers and youth leaders. BTW, if you’re either of those and would like to contribute to the new site, please hit me up and let me know. I’m looking for regular contributors.

And last, but certainly not least, I released my first eBook – Leadership Is Dangerous. You can get it for free by subscribing to the blog and receiving regular email updates. Not a subscriber? Click HERE and become one today.

Question: If you’re a blogger, what was your top post? If you’re not a blogger, share a post that had a great impact. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Hey Joe. Great to hear about your month, especially since meeting each other was apart of it! My top post this month (and every month was God Uses Ordinary People. http://ow.ly/qogIE It is amazing how every day people visit from googling something to do with this. My top new post was based on a look at AIDS in South Africa. http://ow.ly/qogOr Blessings Bro!

http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

Chris, it was great meeting you as well. I’m glad we were able to connect at the Catalyst Conference.

Those were great posts. Really enjoyed reading them and can see why they’re bringing traffic to the website.

http://jonstolpe.com/ Jon Stolpe

Congrats on your month, Joe. And thanks for the mention. It’s such a privilege (and honor) to be part of your blogging community.

Thanks Jon. This month is shaping up to be a fantastic month as well. I’m glad you’re finding value here and that you’re happy being a part of the community. I appreciate all of the effort you put into being so active!

http://lorrainemariereguly.wordpress.com/ Lorraine Marie Reguly

Joe, I appreciate the link. More than you know. I also have news – I have an ebook out there! Here is the link to a guest post. I’d really appreciate you sharing this with your blogging readers/followers. My ebook is called 20 Blog Post Must-Haves.

It’s encouraging to hear that the idea sounds exciting. I’m looking forward to digging in and seeing how I can help other youth leaders. Where there any specific challenges you faced as a youth leader?

Discover why leadership is dangerous and what you can do to avoid these traps. Sign up for free updates and get the eBook FREE!

My mission is to empower young leaders to thrive in a hectic world. I do this through my blog posts, my leadership positions, and coaching. I am sure you want to know more about me.

Monthly Top Commenters

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”